In Ethiopia, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) operates through the International Cooperation Department of the Embassy of Switzerland in Addis Ababa. It bears responsibility for all international development and humanitarian assistance programmes of the Government of Switzerland in the country, in close coordination with the Embassy of Switzerland in Kenya, with which it co-manages the Swiss Regional Programme Horn of Africa.
The National Programme Officer develops and maintains relationships with relevant government entities, (I)NGOs, bilateral or multilateral organisations, and represents Switzerland’s position on food systems and climate change related matters in relevant platforms in Ethiopia. The Programme Officer stays abreast of trends and developments regarding the food security and climate change situation, rural livelihoods, natural resource management, disaster risk reduction, and resilience building in Ethiopia and the HoA, and advises the International Cooperation management on related matters.

Duties and competences that come along with this position:

The NPO is carrying out the tasks assigned in an independent and self-organized manner, including related documentation, communication and information activities. The NPO assures a steady information flow towards the Global Programme Food Security (GPFS) in head office, the Agriculture and Food Security Network, and the Swiss regional Horn of Africa programme especially on relevant issues of food security.

1. Project & Programme Responsibilities

• Responsible for the entire Project Cycle Management (PCM), including financial & administrative management, and records management of Food Systems (FS)- and Climate Change (CC)-related interventions in Ethiopia within the Regional Programme HoA (RPHoA)
• Acts as Focal Point for the SDC thematic areas of Climate Change and Private Sector Engagement

2. Policy Dialogue, Coordination, Networking and Representation

• Regularly attends and contributes to relevant coordination platforms, represents Switzerland’s actively participates in relevant coordination platforms, and briefings by relevant organizations operating in Ethiopia, and proactively searches for dialogue with key donors active in the RPHoA priority areas, organizing bilateral or multilateral meetings if necessary.
• Represents SDC in FS- or CC-relevant meetings, conferences, workshops, and seminars.

3. Knowledge Management & Contributions to SDC Thematic Networks

• Provides the RPHoA Team in the region with relevant inputs, best practices and lessons learnt drawn from the portfolio under their responsibility, particularly in the fields of rural livelihoods, natural resources management, climate change, and market systems development, private sector engagement, and resilience building focusing on (agro-)pastoral settings.
• In coordination with the regional RPHoA Team and colleagues from the Global Programme Food Security (GPFS) based in Addis Ababa, the NPO actively participates in relevant SDC-wide thematic networks and discourse.

4. Internal Collaboration & Coordination

• The NPO actively contributes to the internal efficiency, constructive spirit and quality outputs of the team
• Contributes to a professional relationship with other entities of the Swiss Government in Ethiopia, Kenya, and at headquarter.

5. Other Management Support & Varia

• Contributes to the overall organizational development of the SCO Addis Ababa
• Upon request by the IC management performs additional tasks relatted to the implementation of the RPHoA, or to other SDC or Swiss Government programmes in Ethiopia and the HoA Region.

Direct superior: Programme Manager (PO)/Head of Domain (HoD)

Directly subordinated employee(s): None

Starting on: As soon as possible (with probation period of 3 months)
Administrative Unit & Duty Station: Embassy of Switzerland in Ethiopia (Addis Ababa)

Job Requirements

Education:

• Master’s Degree in Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, or related field.
• Good understanding of and previous exposure to development cooperation and/or humanitarian aid in the Horn of Africa, particularly in arid or semi-arid lands (ASAL).

Professional experiences:

• A minimum of five (5) years of relevant work experience in the field of development cooperation and/or humanitarian aid in Ethiopia, preferably with international organizations in the fields of climate change, rural and local economic development including market systems development, private sector engagement (especially with regard to women’s economic empowerment), and the enhancement of community resilience to external shocks (e.g. droughts).
• Practical experience in the management of development cooperation and/or humanitarian aid projects and programmes with solid experience in Project Cycle Management (PCM; operational and financial planning, monitoring and evaluation of projects);
• Excellent understanding of the Ethiopia and the wider Horn of Africa policy agendas and frameworks in the fields of climate change, the social, economic, agro-ecological and political contexts, notably the humanitarian and/or development challenges affecting local communities.
• Good understanding of Ethiopian, East African, and global policy agendas in the fields of development cooperation and humanitarian aid, as notably formulated by the Inter-Governmental Authority on
• Development (IGAD), the African Union (AU), the United Nations (UN) and other comparable regional or multi-lateral institutions.
• Strong sensitivity and responsiveness to bring forward, and to deal with gender and social inclusion issues.

Skills:

• Excellent analytical, organizational, and communication skills.
• Proven ability to work independently, and in a diverse multi-cultural team, with a minimum of supervision.
• Diplomatic flair and ability to operate in a politically demanding context.
• Ability and willingness to learn new skills and to be proactive in suggesting results-oriented solutions.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English and Amharic; Somali language is an asset.
• Excellent computer literacy; notably Microsoft Office Software Suite (i.e. Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.).
• Proven ability to establish confidence among partners and colleagues, including excellent ability to network.
• Proven leadership skills in terms of policy dialogue and programme implementation/oversight.